Egg-case



(No Model.)

0. A. PREGHTEL.

EGG CASE.

No. 593,404. Patented Nov. 9, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES. A. PREOHTEL, or ABBOTT, TEXAS.

EGG-GAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,404, dated November9, 1897.

Application filed June 3, 1897. Serial No. 639,258. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. PRECHTEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Abbott, in the county of Hill and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Gases, of which thefollowing is a full and complete specification, such as will enablethose skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to folding boxes or crates such as are usuallyemployed for packing and shipping eggs and various other'articles andthe object thereof is to provide an improved box or crate of this classwhich is so constructed that the ends and sides thereof may be compactlyfolded together for shipment when empty, a further object being toprovide a box or crate of this class with a folding partition and with adetachable cover which maybe applied thereto either when the separateparts of the box or crate are folded together or when in a position foruse.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which Figure l is aperspective view of my improved box or crate with partof the coverbroken away; Fig. 2, a similar view with one of the sides broken awayand with one of the ends folded inwardly; Fig. 3, a central longitudinalsection showing all the parts of the box or crate folded together andthe cover connected therewith, and Fig. 4 a sectional detail of theconstruction.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts ofmy improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in eachof the views, and in the practice of my invention I provide a box orcrate of the character herein specified, which comprises a bottom 5, twofolding sides 6, and two similar folding ends 8, together with adetachable cover 9, and these parts are of the following constructionSecured to one side of the bottom 5 is a 1ongitudinal strip 10, to whichone of the sides (5 is hinged, as shown at 11, and secured to theopposite side of the bottom 5 is a similar longitudinal strip 12, towhich in practice the other side is hinged, and the strip 10 is widerthan the strip 12. The ends of the bottom 5 are also provided withsimilar transverse strips 13, to which theends 8 are hinged, as shown at14, and these strips 13 are of the same width and thickness. Each of theend pieces 8 is provided at its upper corners with headed pins 15, andthe sides 6 are each provided with circular or segmental slots 16, whichextend from the upper corners thereof inwardly and downwardly toward themiddle portion of the box or crate, and the headed pins 15, which aresecured to the ends 8 of the box or crate, are adapted to move in theseslots, and each of the sides'is also provided at the upper outer ends ofsaid slots with metal plates 17, which are provided with transversenotches or recesses 18, which are in line with said slots 16, and whenthe ends 8 are turned outwardlyon their hinges at ld the headed pins 15move ihe'slots 16 and the heads thereof pass back of the plates 17, soas to lock the ends and sides together.

I also provide a partition-plate 19, which is provided at its oppositeends and ator near the lower side thereof with pins 20, which pass intocorresponding holes or openings formed in the strips 10 and 12, and saidpartition-plate 19 may be raised into an upright position, as shown inFig. 1, or folded on the bottom 5, as will be readily understood, andthe partition-plate 19 is provided on the 11pper side thereofwithsliding plates 21, which are adapted to enter corresponding holes oropenings in'the upper part of the sides 6, so as to hold saidpartition-plates in an upright position.

The cover 9 is provided with depending side and end flanges 22, whichare adapted to inclose the top of the box or crate, as shown in Fig. 1,and also to inclose the same'when the sides and ends are foldedtogether, as

shown in Fig. 3, and said end and side flanges secured at each end ofthe box or crate, at the bottom thereof, is another loop or staple 27,in connection with which the hooks 25 of the arms 24 operate when theseparate parts of the box or crate are folded together, as

shown in Fig. 1.

Each end of the box or crate is also provided with a folding handle 28,and these folding handles are preferably countersunk in said ends, asshown in Figs. 1 and 3, and it will thus be seen that I accomplish theobject of my invention by means of a device which is simple inconstruction and operation and perfectly adapted to produce the resultfor which it is intended.

The object of making one of the side strips 10 and 12 wider than theother is to provide means whereby said sides may be snugly and compactlyfolded over the end pieces and whereby one of said sides maybe foldedover the other, and in practice when the partition-plate 19 is employedthe said partitionplate is first folded, as shown in Fig. 3, after whichthe ends 8 are folded inwardly, and the side 6, which is hinged to thestrip 12, is then folded inwardly, and the opposite side 6 is foldedtogether.

The cover 9 may be applied either when the box or crate is in positionfor use, as shown in Fig. 1, or when the separate parts thereof arefolded together, as shown in Fig. 3, and it will be apparent thatchanges in and modifications of the construction herein described may bemade without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificingits advantages.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A box or crate, comprisingabottom, two foldingsides, and two folding ends, said bottom being provided at each end witha transverse strip to which the ends are hinged, and at each side withalongitudinal strip, to which the sides are hinged, one of said stripsbeing wider than the other, and said sides being also provided withcircular or segmental grooves, and with locking-plates at the outer endsthereof, and said ends being provided with headed pins which move insaid grooves, and the heads of which operate in connection with saidplates for locking the sides and ends together.

2. A box or crate, comprising a bottom, two

wider than the other, and said sides being also provided with circularor segmental grooves, and with locking-plates at the outer ends thereof,and said ends being provided with headed pins which move in saidgrooves, and the heads of which operate in connection with said platesfor locking the sides and ends together, and said box or crate beingalso provided with apartition-plate which is pivotally connectedtherewith near the bottom thereof, and which is adapted to be foldedadjacent to the bottom and to be raised and locked into an uprightposition, substantially as shown and described.

3. A box or crate, comprising a bottom, two folding sides, and twofolding ends, said bottom being provided at each end with a transat eachside with a longitudinal strip to which the sides are hinged, one ofsaid strips being wider than the other, and said sides being alsoprovided with circular or segmental grooves, and with locking-plates atthe outer ends thereof, and said ends being provided with headed pinswhich move in said grooves,

and the heads of which operate in connection A ence of thesubscribingwitnesses, this 14th day of May, 1897.

CHAS. A. PRECHTEL.

Witnesses:

A. MCKENNA, HUGH DUNN.

verse strip to which the ends are hinged, and

